Friday, October 31, 2014

The second segment is a series of “close-ups” of [1917 NL pennant winning] Giants filmed at the Polo Grounds. McGraw looked grimly at the camera and doffed his cap. Pitcher Ferdie Schupp was described on-screen as “the best twirler in the game;” right fielder Dave Robertson was said to “cover as much territory as a three-ring circus;” and the multisport star Jim Thorpe was introduced as the “Indian all-’round world champ.”

Mackey Sasser was an exceptional catcher for the New York Mets in the late 1980s and early ’90s. He could hit. He could manage a pitching staff. He could nail you trying to steal second base. But one day, there was something Sasser couldn’t do. He couldn’t throw the ball back to the pitcher. Suddenly the most basic act for a catcher was next to impossible for Sasser. What happened? This film explores the mental side of the game and ...